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You'll be surprised by the experiences you gain after exploring Sweden.
Proud of the little things
While other cities chase after the biggest architectural achievements, Stockholm seems to take pride in the smallest things. One of them is the "Jarnpojken" (Iron Boy) statue in the Finnish church in the old town of Gamla Stan. Although it's just a 14cm tall statue of a boy sitting with his knees hugged to his chest, everyone who comes here wants to see this adorable figure and leave a few coins hoping for good luck.
Additionally, the narrowest street, Marten Trotzigs Grand (with some sections only 90 cm wide), and Stockholm's smallest red house are other famous "tiny" tourist attractions in Sweden.
The famous Iron Boy statue in the Swedish capital. Photo:TripAdvisor
Rooftop tour
Nowhere else will you find a tour quite like the one in Sweden: a rooftop walk in Stockholm's Old Town, organized by Upperlev Mer. This unique tour combines rock climbing and sightseeing, perfect for those unafraid of heights. Participants are provided with safety equipment to navigate a narrow path along the rooftops, approximately 65 meters above the ground.
From here, visitors can admire the Birger Jarls statue in front, the Birger Jarls Torg central square to the right, Riddarholmen Island, Riddarholmen Church to the south, and Svea Hovrätt courthouse to the west. Rooftop tours are usually organized year-round, even during the snowy season, on weekends, with fixed schedules. Each tour is limited to a maximum of 10 participants and costs $60 per person. Visitors can check the schedule and number of people who have booked tours on the Upperlev Mer website.
A rooftop tour in Stockholm, Sweden. Photo:Tripadvisor
Christmas
Like many other countries, in Sweden, preparations for Christmas begin in late November or early December. However, instead of December 25th, Christmas in Sweden is celebrated on December 24th. Before Christmas, Swedes also celebrate another very important holiday: the feast of Saint Lucia on December 13th. On this occasion, they also gather and eat traditional dishes such as cured meats, pork knuckles, and porridge.
According to Swedish tradition, the Christmas tree should not be brought home more than two days before Christmas. The tree is decorated with pretty candy wrappers, lights, and candles. Another interesting fact is that Santa Claus in Sweden doesn't ride reindeer, but goats. Legend says he visits each house on a goat, and many Swedish families today use small straw goat figurines as Christmas decorations.
Raspberry calendar
Swedes have a special calendar shaped like a raspberry, with each day listed as a random name. They often use this calendar to name their children, so everyone has a name day dedicated to them. If you have an English name, you can look it up in the calendar at the website: namedaycalendar.com/sweden.
The village has a single-letter name.
While not the only place in the world with villages named after just one letter, Sweden is truly a must-see destination. One such place is the small village of Å in Östergötland, with a population of around 200. In Sweden, there are about 12 other places with single-letter names like Å, Ö, or Y, most of which are farms or simply houses. Å in the local language means stream or river. Many tourists enjoy taking photos with these incredibly short village names.
The village of Å in Östergötland county. Photo:bashny.net
Waste sorting
While you might typically sort your trash into recyclable and non-recyclable categories, in Sweden, they're further categorized by recycling method: incineration, composting, or cleaning and reuse. Although quite complex, this explains why the majority of waste in Sweden is recycled rather than landfilled.
To do that, people would have to learn the symbols on the trash cans in Sweden, and the image of someone standing for a long time in front of a trash can, in front of a long line of people, deciding which bin to throw their trash into, is quite common in this country.
